Automatic door and like controlling device



Jab. 8, 1935. Q. HE 1,987,330

AUTOMATIC DOOR AND LIKE CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed July 12, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 8, 1935. A, Q HSCHER 1,987,330

AUTOMATIC DOOR AND LIKE CONTROLLING DEVICE MAN Patented Jan. 8, 1935 PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC DOOR AND LIKE CONTROLLING DEVICE Alexander Otto Fischer, Bremen, Germany Application July 12, 1933, Serial No. 680,111 In Germany October 5, 1932 4 Claims.

The invention relates to a. device for the automatic control of 'fire doors or screens, fire alarms or fire extinguishing apparatusand the invention consists broadly in the provision of ,a bimetallic thermal element adapted at a given temperature to release a system of pivoted plates and'levers adapted in their turn to release a spring-controlled latch which in its tensioned position keeps a self-closing door or the like open. The bimetallic spring is adjustable for varying its distance from the motion transmitting means accordlngvto the temperatureat which the device is toact.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a sectional view of a device according to the invention,

Fig.2 is a section at right angles to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view showing the device applied to a door frame, I

Fig. 4 is a view showing the door open and secured bymeans of the device. Fig. 5 is a section of a modified form of the device,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5 showing. the

. casing in section,

Fig. 7 is a view showing a fu of the device, and

Fig. 8 is a section on the line .VIII-VIII of Fig. 7. v

The device is illustrated in connection with a fire door as shown in Figs; 3 and 4, thedoor being provided with spring hinges 24 which tend to maintain the door closed. A sliding bolt 23 on the door is adapted to be put into engagement with the downturned end 19 of a latch 17 mounted on the .door frame, for retaining the door in open position. A spring 52 controls the latch 1'7 and tends to move it so as to release the door. This is normally prevented by a pivoted plate 14 having, near its pivot 15, a shoulder against which one end 16 of the tensioned latch abuts. The plate 14 is retained in operative position by the engagement of its free end 18 with a roller 13, the latter being mounted near the pivot 12 of a weighted, double-armed lever 11. A weighted plate 9, pivoted at 10, carries a pin 9 which forms an abutment for the lever 11 and which, when the plate 9 is free to move by gravity, turns the lever 11 so as to raise the roller 13 and release the plate 18. The latter then turns, under the influence of the spring-controlled latch 17, into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the latch disengages the bolt 23 and allows the door to close. Normally the plate 9 is supported on a slide 5 which passes through an aperture er modification in' the plate and which is retained in supporting position by a spring 20. The slide has a reduced portion which, when the slide is moved in opposition to the spring 20, is advanced into the aperture of the plate and allows the latter to drop for releasing the door as previously described. In order that this release of the fire door may be eifected automatically at a pre-arranged temperature, a bimetallic spring 1 is arranged with its free end in the neighbourhood of the end of the slide, the spring being adapted to be deflected towards the slide for moving the latter on an increase in the temperature. The spring, is connected to a holder 2 which is pivoted at 3 so that it can be adjusted for varying the normal position of the spring relative to the slide according to requirements. The adjustment of the holder is effected through the medium of a screw spindle 4 carrying a disc 6 on which a graduated scale is provided. An index relative to which the disc moves, indicates on the disc the temperature at which the device will act for releasing the fire door. The mechanism is enclosed in a casing 7 having a transparent Window through which the disc can be seen. A pivoted plate 8 normally covers an aperture in the casing 7 through which a screw driver can be admitted for turning the screw spindle 4. The casing is made of a good heat conducting metal for instance cop per. It is connected to the door frame by means of a bracket 21 and a clip 22 the latter of which embraces a tubular extension of the casing which encloses the latch 7 and its spring.

The plate 14, on moving into and out of the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, sweeps. and rocks the plate 9. Thus when the latch, after the spring 1 has returned to its normal position, is retracted by hand, and when the plate 14 as a consequence tilts back into the position shown by full lines, the latch raises the plate 9 so that the slide 5 and the roller 13 can slip into position for relocking the latch and thus restor ing the operativeness of the device.

The spring 1 is composed in known manner of two strips of metal of different coeflicient of expansion which are interconnected in any suitable manner, for instance galvanically or by a rolling process.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the bimetallic thermal element is formed into a coil spring 25 which encloses a rod 27 and which is connected at the lower end to a disc 26 secured to said rod. The upper end of the spring is connected to a ring 34 which carries a radial arm 35. The latter normally supports angular arm 36 connected to a pivoted member 37 formed with a nose piece 38 which normally supports a pivoted plate 41 by engagement with an arm 39 connected to the latter. Another pivoted plate 44 carries a pin 43 whereby it is supported in an aperture 42 in the plate 41. The latch 17 is held in tensioned position by engagement with a shoulder on a plate 50 which is pivoted at 51 and which is held in operative position for engagement with a weighted, doublearmed lever 48 pivoted at 47. The normal position of the lever 48 is determined by a stop 49, one arm of the lever being located in the'path of a pin 45 connected to the plate 44.

On an increase in the temperature, the iree end of the bimetallic coil spring 25 will be subjected to a rotary displacement, and the arm 35 will be deflected towards the free end of the arm 36. At a predetermined temperature the arms get disengaged from one another, and the arm 36 then drops and causes the arm 39 to slip off the nose piece 38. The plate 41, being thus released, turns about its pivot 40 and allows the plate 44 to turn about its pivot 45. As'the plates turn together by gravity, the pin 46 strikes against the lever 48 and releases the plate 50 which. in its turn releases the latch 17 and allows the fire door to close. As the plate 50 turns under the influence of the latch 1'7, it strikes against the curved lower edge of the plate 44 and restores the plates as well as the arms 39 and 36 to their normal positions where they areretained by the plate 50 so as to allow the arm 35, on the cooling of the spring 25, to resume its supporting position under the arm 3'6. When thereupon the latch 17 is retracted by hand, the

plate 50 tilts back into operative position and rocks the lever 48 whereby it is finally looked for securing the tensioned latch.

The stop which retains the plate 50 in supporting position under the plate 44, may consist of a pair of electric contact elements 57 and 58 whichare keptin contact with each other by theplate for closing a circuit 59 whereby an alarm or a fire extinguisher may be operated.

The adjustment of the thermal element is effected through the medium of the rod 27 the lower end of which is formed with a nick 33 for engagement with a screw driver. The disc 26, which turns together with the rod, is fitted with a pointer 29 which moves over a scale 30. A coil spring 23 arranged between the disc 26 and the adjacent wall of the enclosing casing 32,- acts as a brake and retains the rod in adjusted position. The casing 32 is provided with louvre ap ertures allowingchanges in the temperature to when it is desired-to close the door by hand. On

the automatic device being operated, the latch 17 lifts-the fork ed the bolt in the axial direction of the latter.

The regulation of the device may be efiected by an adjustment of the slide 5 or of the arm 36 relative to the thermal element instead of by an adjustment of the latter.

The arrangement according to Fig. .5 maybe simplified by adapting the plate 44 to be supported and released directly by the thermal element. a

I "claim:

1. An automatic door and like controlling .de vice, comprising a spring-controlled latch, a series of pivoted levers co-op'erating with one another and with said latch for retaining the latter in operative position, a pivoted, weighted plate adapted to co-operate with one of said levers for preventing a retention of the latch, supporting means for retaining said plate in inoperative position, and a bimetallic thermal elementv oboperating with the supporting means for releasing the plate at a given temperature.

.2. A structure .as' claimed in claim 1 wherein the thermal element comprises a blade spring adapted to be deflected by changes in the temperature, a pivoted holder for said spring, and means for adjusting said holder to vary the working distance of. the blade spring from the plate supporting means.

3. A structure as claimed in claim .1 wherein the thermal element comprises a coil spring adapted to :co-operate with the plate supporting means by a torsional movement.

74. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the latch comprises a longitudinally movable member, .a resilient fork connected to said member at right angles thereto, an'da bolt parallelto said member connected to the door and adapted to snapintoiengagement with said fork when the door is opened.

ALEXANDER o'rrro FISCHER. 

